Avalon's Tear
by Amethyst M
Summary: Modern/reincarnation fic. In most of the traditional Arthurian legends, Nimueh traps Merlin, though the details vary depending upon which version you happen to be reading. What if he escaped during our time? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The archaeologists had been digging for quite some time now. This was supposed to be the find of the century: proof of Camelot's existence. However, they had found something unexpected, a network of caverns deep underground.

"I think I found something over here," one said. That was a student from Scotland, Mary Brown. She was the professor's assistant. Her shovel clinked against the ground.

"Let's see," said the professor, Dr. Cooper.

As the tall, thin Englishman took a step forward, he realized that Mary must have hit a cave. He assisted her in digging further and a patch of ice-blue shone through the grass.

"What in the world...?" the professor wondered aloud. Surely the caverns weren't so far underground that they were completely frozen. This defied logic.

"Why is it frozen?" asked Mary.

"I am wondering that myself. It shouldn't be."

There was suddenly a rumble from beneath their feet, as if there was about to be an earthquake. Mary and the professor ran. A brilliant light shone from below, and then the ice shattered into thousands of tiny fragments. There was also a great deal of steam. When the steam cleared, a skinny young man with raven-black hair sat on the grass nearby, coughing raggedly. He wore clothing as if from medieval times - pants and a sapphire-blue tunic, and a red neckerchief. He also had a staff with a sky blue crystal.

"Who are you?" asked the professor, astonished.

The young man blinked in confusion as he stood up. "Did Arthur not send you?"

"Arthur who?" the professor asked.

"King Arthur, of course. Who else?" Merlin replied.

The professor's jaw dropped. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Merlin sighed. "Do I look like I'm joking? How long was I trapped?"

The other archaeologists had started to gather around. Merlin noticed their strange clothing. Not to mention, their equipment looked very unusual. There were other things he couldn't begin to name within sight – large, steel things with circular black wheels on the bottom. Whatever they were made of, he couldn't tell from this distance. He figured that perhaps they were used for transport, but they looked like nothing he'd ever seen before. Merlin realized that he must have been in Nimueh's ice cave for a very long time.

"What year is it?" he inquired.

"2012," one of the students, an American, responded.

Merlin's eyes widened in shock. That meant Arthur, Gwen, Gwaine, and everyone else were long dead. Camelot...what had happened to it? "No," he whispered as the color drained from his face, creating an even greater contrast with his black hair. "That's not possible. Not even Nimueh could have done that."

"Who are you?" Dr. Cooper asked again.

The stunned young man took a few moments to reply. "I'm Merlin."

The world decided to spin around just then. He swayed and then felt someone holding him up. It was Mary. "You need to go to the hospital."

He assumed she thought he needed medical care. "No, I'm fine."

She looked at him in astonishment. "If you really were trapped in ice for over a thousand years and this isn't some sort of stupid prank, then you need medical attention." She called out, "Someone get him some tea and call an ambulance."

Merlin's legs decided to give way just then. He staggered forward. Mary and the professor stopped him from collapsing entirely and helped him sit down. He was handed a strange-looking mug of tea. There was an image of four men holding what looked to be musical instruments…possibly some weird sort of lutes? But they were in strange colors and not made of wood at all. He stared at the mug and took a tentative sip. Well, at least tea still tasted pretty much like tea, but it was a small consolation.

"Who are the Beatles and why are they painted on a mug?" At least, he assumed it was a painting, though it was in exquisite detail and looked very real.

The students stared at him. It was becoming obvious that the young man was who he was claiming to be. Either that or he had completely lost his marbles.

"I have to get back," Merlin said. "Arthur needs me. I have to..."

Suddenly, a blinding headache hit him. He heard sirens in the distance. They sounded like nothing he had ever heard before. Had magic become that widely used, then? The grass met his head and the world went black.

He awoke later in a bizarre metal bed. The room was spinning. Where was he? Had Nimueh done this? His eyes turned gold as he instinctively reached for magic. It roared into him, as if it had been unused for a very long time and was eager to be let out.

"Easy now," said a woman's voice. "You're in a hospital in England. Don't worry."

Merlin was even more confused. "Where the bloody hell is England? Arthur, I need Arthur..."

The doctor looked concerned. Her patient was panicking and his eyes had changed color. She didn't know what that meant, but he was supposed to be Merlin. She figured he would try to cast a spell if he felt threatened, but surely magic wasn't actually real, right?

"They found you, in the ice. You were there for ages. They believe you're telling the truth about that."

He stared at the woman. She was wearing men's pants and a strange kind of white coat. Her hair was blonde, but going gray. She wore spectacles, but they weren't like any kind of spectacles he'd seen. Finally, he remembered. His eyes slowly turned blue as he stopped panicking. "It's the year 2012."

"Good. I'm Doctor Smith, but my patients call me Margie. Do you remember your name?"

He nodded. "Merlin."

"That's good. You were unconscious here, in the hospital, for two and a half days. You've been through a lot. We're frankly amazed that you're doing as well as you are."

He gave her a wry smile. "I still don't know where England is."

She looked at him with wide eyes and then slapped her forehead. "Of course you wouldn't. It wasn't called England back then. Here, take a look." She had something under her arm, a thin black rectangular object. It had mysterious glowing runes all over it.

Merlin's forehead furrowed as he looked at it. "Is that magic?"

"No, it's technology. This device is called an iPad. It's a kind of computer." He was looking at her quizzically, so she added, "A machine. It was designed and built by people. There have been a lot of new inventions in the past hundred years or so." She touched one of the glowing runes and a map popped up. She handed it to him and pointed. "We're here. The city is called Chester. You can see more if you touch it."

He looked at the map, surprised that it showed more detail when he touched the city label and less detail when he pressed another picture to zoom out. "What happened to Albion?"

"England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are all one country now. It's called the United Kingdom. We're a constitutional monarchy. We have been for quite some time."

A stunned Merlin looked up. "What about Camelot?"

"No one really knows. The historians were never precise as to its location. Many have tried to find it. Camelot is widely regarded as a myth."

"And King Arthur?" he asked.

"He was said to have received a fatal wound but was sent to Avalon. Not that anyone's ever found proof of Avalon's existence, mind you."

Merlin sat up. "Of course, since I'm here, I wasn't there to protect him. I knew the clot pole wouldn't survive a day without me. "

The doctor gave him a bemused look. "We are talking about Arthur Pendragon?"

"Yes. Who do you think kept him alive during all those battles?"

The doctor smiled. "I will leave you for now, but I do need this back." She took the iPad and left.

Merlin sighed and stared at the ceiling, completely bored.

Suddenly a familiar voice entered his head: _Merlin!_

His eyes widened. "Kilgharrah?"

"_It is you!" _The dragon sounded downright happy, which was quite odd for him. _"I cannot believe this…you are here!"_

"I'm happy you're here too, but didn't you look for me?" Merlin was puzzled as to why he hadn't been rescued.

_"We all thought you had perished," _the dragon continued. _"No one could SEE you. Her magic must have been preventing us from knowing where you were."_

"Wait…who?"

"_Myself, the other dragons, and the descendants of the druid clans. We have our…own little enclave, if you will."_

"Oh," said Merlin.

"_There are things you must know,"_ Kilgharrah continued. _"But for now, you should rest."_

__"Things? What sort of things?"

"_Rest,"_ the dragon said. Kilgharrah's presence left his mind.

Meanwhile, in an alley in downtown New York, there was a ripple in the air. If anyone had been looking, they would have seen three women step out of the ripple.

"Where are we?" Morgana asked.

"We are in a place called New York City," Nimueh replied. "It did not yet exist during our time. We are in the year 2012."

"Why are we here, now?"

"Merlin has returned to the world, and Arthur is here as well. He does not remember Camelot in this current lifetime. More importantly, Uther is also here, and he has something I desire, though he knows it not."

"What?" Morgause asked.

"There is a gemstone called Avalon's Tear. It is ancient. It also is said to hold incredible magical power. I hold you responsible, sisters, for retrieving it. Do what you will with Uther and his son. With Avalon's Tear, the world will be ours to control. We will be able to destroy Merlin once and for all."

Nimueh placed a vision of Uther in the sisters' minds so they knew where to find him, as well as a vision of the stone. It was ocean blue and sparkled in the light. "Go," she said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was a few days later. Merlin had been released from the hospital. With nowhere else to go, he set about finding the dragons and the druids. Kilgharrah gave him directions. He wound up walking, but used a speed spell to avoid the days of travel it would have taken normally.

The main problem with speed spells were the side effects. They tended to leave the spell caster exhausted, which was why they were supposed to be used sparingly. Merlin wound up nearly collapsing under an apple tree. He lay there in the grass staring up at the leaves and sky. It was early evening.

This was really his first time outside since the hospital, and he was seeing a number of things that he hadn't noticed before. There were flying machines, for one thing. He could also see the metal contraptions on wheels which had zoomed by, except a lot of them were parked along the street, completely still. There were children on strange colored boards with wheels. Music was playing from somewhere. It was a type of music he'd never heard before, but the tune was catchy.

A man with long gray hair and a mustache approached him, with a twinkle in his green eyes. He wore blue jeans and a green shirt. There was nothing outward to suggest that he was anything other than an ordinary human.

"Hello, old friend," he said in the voice of Kilgharrah, which Merlin thought sounded very odd without the dragon's deep undertones.

Merlin's eyes widened. "Kilgharrah? How are you human?"

"It's a long story." He held out his hand.

The warlock took it and stood up. "Thanks."

"Come with me," said Kilgharrah.

Merlin followed him to the local pub, called the Dragon's Roost. The symbol above the door was of a red dragon. He entered to find the pub a lively place, and was stunned to find a few familiar faces among the strangers.

"Gwaine?" Merlin gasped.

The tall dark-haired man, who was arm-wrestling someone, slammed the other man's arm down and glanced over.

"Merlin!"

"We've taken the liberty of gathering a few allies and making sure they remember…you see, we are going to need them," Kilgharrah explained. "Nimueh's return has been long prophesied."

"But not mine?" The warlock looked a bit disappointed.

"You must remember that the nature of the prison she put you in obscured you from all magical sight. Your return was not foreseen. However," Kilgharrah's eyes twinkled as he gestured to a box on a wall with moving pictures and sound currently displaying some form of sporting event, "we do have a telly."

"A…what?" Merlin looked confused.

"Television," Gwaine supplied. "You missed a lot, mate. Humans have been to the moon. There are robots on Mars. We have computers now and the Internet, which is a network of computers, and you can send a message to the other side of the planet in seconds."

Merlin sat down and studied Gwaine closely. "Are you drunk?"

He chuckled. "Not yet."

Kilgharrah sat down as well.

Gaius approached. "Hello, Merlin."

"Gaius!" Merlin grinned.

"Hi," said Gwen. "It's been far too long."

Percival grinned as he sat down. "Long time no see," he said.

Merlin nodded. "Where's Arthur?" He wondered aloud.

"In America," said Kilgharrah. "He is in New York City, along with Uther and Ygraine. They have no idea who they were in their past lives, but I believe that is about to change. Morgana and Morgause seek them out. Nimueh did not bring them back from beyond the veil for mere revenge. She seeks an ancient artifact known as Avalon's Tear. It is a gemstone with magical properties."

"What sort of magical properties?"

"It would allow the bearer, after a certain ritual is performed, to become even more powerful than you, Merlin," explained the dragon. "Nimueh must not have it."

"Where is the gemstone currently?"

"The druids have foreseen it in Uther's possession. He does not know the value of what he has," said Kilgharrah.

"Then we must protect him," said Merlin.

"Indeed," Kilgharrah replied. "Our druid friends are going to cast a teleportation spell to get you to New York City."

Merlin nodded. He, Gwaine, Gaius, Percival, and Gwen stood up.

"We're ready," said Gwaine.'

The druids in the pub also stood up, formed a circle, and began to chant. Magical power filled the room. It was powerful earth magic. An emerald light surrounded the room. The air grew warm and began to shimmer. Then, everything faded.

In New York, Morgana and Morgause walked into the public library. This was the place that Nimueh had shown them. They saw him assisting a patron from behind a desk marked "Information."

Morgana began to laugh. "How the mighty have fallen. My father, a librarian?"

"Indeed, sister," said Morgause. "He does not remember us yet. But he will."

The library patrons stared at the two women dressed in medieval gowns as they both approached the information desk.

"Hello, father," said Morgana.

"I'm sorry; you must have me mistaken for someone else," he replied. His name tag read "William Jones."

"I think not," Morgan replied. She whispered a word in a language he did not understand, but nearly everyone in the room saw her eyes turn gold. Mothers grabbed their children and began to run towards the exit.

"No, stay," Morgause commanded. "You should witness this moment. After all, we are making history."

The librarian blinked and took a step backward as his head was filled with memories. The slaughter – he remembered the slaughter. The battles, the blood on his sword…it was all too much. "No! Morgana…"

She laughed. "There we go, father. You remember me now."

He stumbled back into a stack of books, knocking them off the counter. "What are you doing here?" he gasped.

"Nimueh has brought my sister and I here. We have a task to complete," she said.

"I will not help you," he declared. As the old king rose to the surface of the mild-mannered librarian, he glared at her. "I should have killed you long ago! You betrayed me."

"I betrayed you?" She shook her head. "Father, you betrayed me first, by murdering my people in cold blood. You killed hundreds of innocents simply because they had magic. It didn't matter if they used it for good or not. You just slaughtered them all. Children, women, it mattered not. You would have killed me when I was a little girl if you'd known. You would have killed _Merlin _as an infant_."_

"They would have been corrupted by magic, as you have been! How can you not see that, Morgana?"

"Not all who use magic are evil," she replied. "But that is not why I am here."

"I will not help you," he repeated. "You will have to kill me to get whatever it is you want."

"Where is the gemstone?" Morgause demanded.

"The what?" he asked.

Just then, the door to the library flew open, and a blonde man wearing jeans, sneakers, and a red T-shirt ran in. "Father?"

"Hello, Arthur," said Morgana. "Long time, no see."

"Whoever you are, leave my father alone."

She whispered the word that Morgause had. The young man gaped at her in shock as his mind was flooded with the past. He grabbed onto a counter for support.

"Morgana?" he whispered, completely stunned. "How…?"

"Hello, dear brother," she replied. "Remember me now?"

He glared at her. "Get out."

"I think not," Morgana replied. "At least, not until I get what I came for."

"What's that?" Arthur demanded.

"Your father has a gemstone. He does not know it's true worth. Give it to me, and my sister and I will leave without harming anyone."

"Never," said Arthur defiantly.

Morgana smirked. "We'll see about that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As Merlin, Gaius, Percival, Gwaine, and Gwen appeared behind the library, Merlin looked around. They were in a parking lot. Strange steel vehicles were everywhere. He looked at them uncertainly.

"They're cars," Gwaine said. "They won't bite you, mate. People use them for transportation like we used to use horses. They go a lot faster, and you don't have to clean up after them."

Merlin looked at him. "If you say so," he replied.

"Come on."

Upon entering the library, Merlin saw Arthur leaning on a desk. Then he saw Uther, Morgause, and Morgana.

"Have you come for me, too?" Uther inquired.

"What? No," the warlock protested.

Arthur looked up. The color had completely drained from his face. "Merlin?" he whispered in shock as memories of the past and the present clashed. "What happened? How are you even_ here?_"

The library patrons looked fearfully from Morgana and Morgause to Merlin and back to Uther.

"Let them go, Morgana," Merlin said. "They're just civilians."

"No," she snapped. "My sister is right. They must bear witness."

"To what?" the warlock retorted. "You already got your revenge over a thousand years ago, or have you forgotten? You killed Uther with the anti-healing charm that made my spell backfire."

The librarian looked astonished. "Morgana?" he inquired.

"You killed enough of my people, father. You should remember the fear on their faces as you stood over them with a sword. How did it feel to murder women and children? You were nothing but a coward!"

"They had magic," he responded.

"That doesn't make them evil!" she shouted.

"You stole the throne from me and killed me. What else would have made you do it?" Uther demanded. "Magic corrupts." He took a deep breath. "It will corrupt you too, Merlin, if it hasn't already."

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I'm over a thousand years old," Merlin replied. "If I was going to be corrupted, it would have already happened. Magic in and of itself is not evil. It's the spell caster who chooses to use it for good or ill that matters."

The former king looked as if he had been slapped. "You dare speak to me that way?"

"You're a librarian in this life, not the king. You've also seem to have forgotten that I'm not a servant in your castle any more. And I happen to be a Dragonlord and the most powerful warlock on the planet. So, yes, I will speak to you that way." Merlin crossed his arms and glared at him. "And Morgana, as evil as she may be, actually has a point. You killed lots of innocent people when you were the king."

A flustered and indignant Uther glared at him. "How could you possibly agree with _her? _She tried to usurp my throne!"

"I was born with magic. I was levitating things as a baby. I didn't ask for it. Neither did Morgana. Now, we both made different choices - very different choices. However, you would have killed me in my mother's arms," Merlin pointed out.

The librarian looked flabbergasted. The memories from his previous life were so contradictory. He could not imagine himself doing those terrible things, and yet, he had blood on his hands. How could he have been so blind? He had thought that he was doing the right thing. Now he knew that he had been in the wrong.

Arthur was in shock. It had started out as such an ordinary day. He had gone to the library to have lunch with his father, which they had every Saturday. Then the world had gone mad. A few days ago, there was that nonsense on the telly about pulling a man out of ice at an archaeological dig looking for ancient Camelot. Now he, a college student, had just discovered that he had been King Arthur in a past life. Having two sets of memories in his head was confusing. He was starting to get a headache.

Morgana glared at Uther. "Just tell me where the gemstone is."

"I will not help you," he replied.

"Leave him alone," Arthur ordered, standing up.

Merlin glared at Morgana. "Leave now, or you will regret it. I can take you both, and you know it."

"Come sister, now is not the time," Morgause said. She chanted something in the old language. The two of them turned into a flock of ravens, fluttering towards the exit.

Merlin's eyes turned gold as he blasted them with an energy beam, but the ravens dodged it and slipped out the automatic door. A scorch mark remained on the wall where the energy beam had hit.

Arthur ran towards his father. "Are you all right?"

The librarian nodded. "I believe so." Uther took a few steps from behind the desk and hugged his son, then looked at the small group. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Indeed," Gaius said. "Hello, old friend."

The two eyed each other, and then Uther clasped Gaius's shoulder. "It has been too long."

"Hello, Arthur," said Gwen.

The two of them gazed at each other for a few moments. Then Arthur ran over to her. "Gwen? Is it really you?"

"Yes," she said with tears in her eyes.

As they embraced, the onlookers applauded.

"Hello mate," said Percival to Arthur.

"Long time, no see, Princess," Gwaine added.

"Percival! Gwaine! What is going on?" Arthur asked.

"Explanations will have to wait," Merlin said. "We need to go somewhere safe."

Uther shook his head. "I'm supposed to be working today. Surely you of all people remember what that's like? I can't just take off whenever I want to."

"All right. I'll stay here in case Morgana comes back," Merlin said.

"As will I," Percival replied. "I'm a police officer in the UK, which means that I may be able to help in more ways than one."

"That's great," Arthur said. "Merlin?"

"What?"

"I know it's been ages, literally. We haven't talked in a long time."

He shrugged. "It's all right."

"No, it's not. You were my best friend."

Merlin nodded. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you."

"That was not your fault."

"But you died. If I'd been there, maybe things would have been different."

Arthur shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm here, now. Let's leave the past in the past."

"I'd like to, but Morgana and Morgause are trying to make sure that doesn't happen."

"We'll just have to stop them, then." Arthur grinned. "Like we always do."

"I don't suppose you still have the sword?" Merlin asked.

"Excalibur? No. It's probably buried somewhere under Camlann," Arthur said, taking a deep breath as the memory resurfaced. How had he even trusted Mordred? He couldn't believe it.

"Then we'll just have to go and find it," said the warlock.

"How are we going to do that?" Arthur asked.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," Merlin responded. "Besides, we might need the sword for whatever Morgana and Morgause are planning."

Arthur nodded. "All right." He looked at the librarian. "Father, I think now would be an excellent time to take that vacation you were saving up for."

Uther nodded.

Merlin glanced around and grabbed a book to read. It was going to be a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A day later, they were all at Arthur's house. Well, technically it belonged to Arthur's parents. He only lived there to save money because he was a college student. Arthur and Gwaine had taken Merlin shopping and bought him some modern clothing so he stuck out less. He still favored red and blue shirts. He just switched trousers for jeans and modern shoes for medieval boots, and bought a new brown leather jacket.

He was a bit disappointed by the fact that neckerchiefs were out of style, so he'd bought scarves instead. His friends actually suggested he buy a few hats since his photo was being run in all of the newspapers, along with that of Morgana and Morgause. Arthur had made sure he'd gotten one particular hat and scarf, which were dark green and silver striped. Merlin had no idea why, but they all thought it looked good on him.

Merlin had put up all sorts of wards around Uther's house. It had taken some convincing, but the librarian version of the former king saw the logic in it. Uther with common sense…now there was a concept. This new Uther tolerated him a lot more than the old one. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he actually used his brain.

Arthur was trying to teach Merlin how to play video games to pass the time, and wound up failing because the warlock could not see the entertainment value of moving around a small figure on a computer screen shooting fake magical weapons at things that did not exist. Gwaine and Percival, on the other hand, had immense fun shooting at each other on the computer screen.

"We need to figure out how we're getting to the UK," Arthur said. "Normally we'd just take an airplane, but you don't have an ID yet."

"A what?" Merlin inquired.

"ID." Arthur reached into his pocket, retrieved his wallet, and pulled out his driver's license. "You need official identification from the government to be able to fly on a plane, and since the UK is a foreign country, you also need a passport. Technically, you're not even here legally, but I don't think the laws were written to include magical teleportation."

The warlock sighed. Clearly the world had become a much more complicated place.

"That brings up a good point," Percival said. "When you two get there, call this lady." He handed Arthur a woman's name and phone number on a slip of paper. "She works for the government. She can help get him an ID card and a National Insurance number."

"Thanks," said Arthur.

"Who is coming with us and who is staying here to keep an eye on Uther?" Merlin asked.

"I'll stay," Gaius said.

"So will I," Gwen said.

"I'm going with you," Gwaine replied.

"I'll stay," Percival said. He reached into his pocket and held out a gun. "I may be the only one with a weapon that isn't magic."

Merlin looked at it curiously. "What's that?"

"Think of a crossbow," Percival said. "Now think of a weapon that's smaller and can shoot much faster. A gun like this can shoot a bullet about 800-900 feet per second, and a bullet is much smaller than the arrows we used back in the day. They're deadlier, too. Chain mail wouldn't stop a bullet. They have special armor now." He lifted up his shirt to reveal the Kevlar vest underneath. "It's called Kevlar."

"Dare I ask what other types of weapons have been invented?"

"Nothing that Morgana and Morgause would use," said Gwaine. "They'll turn to magic instead."

"Don't underestimate them," Gaius warned.

Merlin looked at Arthur. "I remember what spell the druids used, but I'm going to have to modify it a bit. We won't need a circle."

"Okay."

"We'll have to leave tomorrow morning. Pack a bag just in case, and bring some food along."

Arthur nodded.

"Let's watch a movie," Gwen said.

"Which one?" Arthur asked.

"What's a movie?" Merlin wondered.

"You'll see," Gwen replied with a smile. "Arthur, you have the entire Harry Potter series?" she asked incredulously.

Arthur's cheeks turned Pendragon red. "Uh…I can explain that. There was this girl I dated in high school, and she was a huge fan, so I saved up my after-school job money and bought them all."

"Uh huh," she replied, chuckling.

"Why on earth would someone make a movie about a hairy potter?" Merlin asked, looking a tad confused.

"Just put it on already," Arthur said, still blushing furiously. "Someone go and keep my father busy so he doesn't throw a fit when he sees the movie."

"Which movie would that be?" asked William from the stairs.

"Uh…nothing," said Arthur hastily.

"Your mother's home. Someone else will be taking care of her shift for the next week. I've convinced her to take some time off, but she doesn't know why."

"Great."

Gwen started the DVD player. Percival and Gwaine were trying not to laugh, and failing miserably. As the theme music began to play, William groaned.

Gaius sighed and went upstairs. "Might I suggest ignoring them?"

"Hmm, perhaps you're right. Gaius, you remember Ygraine? Of course, she doesn't remember anything about this."

"I can fix that," said Merlin.

William wasn't entirely sure about the use of magic. Having to reconcile his current life with his past life meant that he realized he had been wrong to commit what amounted to genocide, but could Merlin be trusted? Most of the Arthurian legends hadn't had much to say about him, after all, other than the druidic prophecies. There were many contradictory writings about him, and since he had died before Arthur's reign, he had no way of knowing if any of the legends were true.

Not wanting to cause a scene but still wanting to play it safe, William opted for the diplomatic angle, which his past counterpart wouldn't have done. "I'm not sure about that. Remember, she died in child birth. She's bound to have some painful memories."

"How else are you going to explain all of us down here?" the warlock pointed out.

"He has a point," said Gaius.

William sighed. "Very well," he replied.

Merlin went upstairs, along with Gaius.

"Hello dear," said the librarian. "These are two very old friends of mine."

She looked at them both, wondering what on earth the now-infamous Merlin was doing at her house.

"My name is James Smith," said Gaius. "I teach biology at the University of London."

"It's nice to meet you," said Ygraine.

William nodded. "And this is…"

"Merlin," she gasped. "I've seen you on TV. But how do you know my husband?"

"Well, that's the interesting part," the warlock said.

"Do tell."

"Back in Camelot, I knew him as King Uther. You were Queen Ygraine." Merlin looked at Gaius. "This was my mentor, whom I knew as Gaius. He was a physician."

"What?" she asked.

"You have a past life which you've forgotten, but I can help you remember," Merlin explained.

"You're serious?"

"Yes," William said. "It wasn't Merlin who helped me remember mine, but Morgana. I remember every detail of it. Now Morgana wants something we have, though I know not why. In any case, helping her would be a very bad idea."

"I'm not sure I want to remember," said Ygraine. "If I was the Queen, and you were the King, whatever happened to Arthur? Wasn't he supposed to be the King?"

"He was our son," said William. "He ruled after me. John is Arthur."

Ygraine looked stunned. Her son had been King Arthur?

"Let Merlin help you remember, please."

"All right," she replied.

Merlin's eyes blazed golden as he whispered the spell in the old language. _"Mymerest." *_

It took a few seconds. The fair-haired woman's eyes widened. She gasped in surprise as the memories flooded her mind. She remembered being pregnant in Camelot. They had gone to Nimueh for magical aid. However, neither of them knew the price that the spell required.

She recalled going into labor and being in the room. The midwife had been unable to help. Gaius, who had been the physician at the time, tried to save her with magic. It was of no use. Nimueh's spell was too powerful. The baby…she recalled hearing the baby cry, just as darkness enveloped her.

"Uther!"

"It's all right," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Gaius," she exclaimed.

The former physician smiled. "Hello, Ygraine."

"I remember everything."

"Yes," said William. "Amazing, isn't it?"

She stared at the basement door, then opened it and headed downstairs. "Arthur?"

"Oh my," said Gwen. "She knows."

Arthur put the movie on pause and stood up. "Mother?"

The two gaped at each other for a few moments, and then hugged. "Arthur!"

He looked at her. "Are you all right?"

"We didn't even get to know each other."

"But we do now."

She wiped happy tears from her eyes. "I can't believe it."

Arthur said, "Merlin and I are going to the UK tomorrow to look for Excalibur. I want you to stay here with father. Percival, Gwen, and Gaius will stay here to keep you safe in case Morgana should return. Percival is a police officer."

"Morgan Le Fay?" she asked.

He nodded. "In the legends…but we call her Morgana."

She nodded.

"Mother, this is Guinevere. I know the two of you never met, but we were married."

Gwen smiled. "Hello. My name is Annie in this lifetime."

"Hello."

"And these are Percival and Gwaine, formerly of the Round Table. Sorry, I never got your current names."

"Peter," said Percival.

"Jack," Gwaine replied.

"I should go upstairs and start dinner. Shall I make pizza for everyone?" Ygraine asked.

"Excellent idea," Arthur responded.

"What's pizza?" Merlin asked, having returned.

"You'll see."

Arthur pushed the remote control button to start the movie again. Merlin sat down on the couch next to Gwaine. They were going to have a long day tomorrow.

* * *

*I used an online translator for the spell. Hope I got it right.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was morning. Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine had gotten up at sunrise. The smell of waffles, fried eggs, and sausages wafted through the air. Arthur tried not to look shocked as they entered the kitchen. It was not Ygraine cooking, but surprisingly, William and Gaius. The two of them had apparently been making breakfast.

Merlin pretended to look disappointed. "No porridge?"

Gaius laughed. "I can make it if you like."

He shook his head. "I was joking. Honestly, I'd be amazed if people still eat porridge."

"You'd be surprised," Gaius said.

Merlin looked at the table in wonder. There was milk, orange juice, and toast. The waffles were stacked up on a plate, and there enough sausages for everyone to have two. It was a lot of food, at least from his point of view.

"This is enough food to feed a small army," he remarked.

"We almost have a small army: two knights of the round table, me, and Merlin. That should count for something, though Merlin probably could take on a small army on his own."

"Not just a small one," said the warlock.

"Oh, and he's so modest."

"I'm over a thousand years old, Arthur. Not to mention, everyone knows who I am. The time for modesty has passed."

"Hello," said Gwen, having come up the stairs. "Oh my," she gasped at the sight of all the breakfast food.

"Do I smell waffles?" Percival asked.

"Yes," said Arthur. "My father cooks, believe it or not."

"Now this I have to see," said Gwen.

"I am not the same person I once was," William said, turning around wearing a batter-stained apron. "I wronged you greatly in the past. I'm sorry."

Gwen and William exchanged glances. Finally, she nodded. "I accept your apology."

"Me too," said Merlin. "Now, let's have some breakfast."

Gwaine was the last to come up the stairs, having slept in. His hair was completely mussed up and he was still wearing the same jeans and t-shirt he had worn the previous day. "Morning all," he said.

"Morning," said Arthur.

"There's hot water on the stove if anyone wants tea," said Gaius.

"Excellent," said Gwaine, sitting down.

Percival poured himself a cup of tea. "Thanks," he said, sitting next to Gwaine.

Everyone else sat down. They had nearly finished eating breakfast when Ygraine came down the stairs, wearing a light blue denim dress and a pale blue necklace.

"Good morning," she said. "Sorry I'm late. I had a few…interesting dreams."

"That's a lovely necklace," Gwen said.

"Thank you," she replied. "It's been in the family for generations. My great-great-grandmother had it in Ireland."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. The stone was tear-shaped and set in an unassuming silver pendant with white crystals all around it. "May I see that, please?"

The librarian looked a bit surprised. "You don't think…"

"Maybe," the warlock replied.

Ygraine slowly took off the necklace and handed it to Merlin. "Here."

Merlin took it. He muttered some words in the old language and his eyes glowed. The necklace glowed with a golden aura so brightly that the light filled the room for a moment. "It's definitely magical," he said. "It's powerful magic as well."

"This is what Nimueh seeks?" Arthur asked. "My mother's necklace?"

"Yes," Merlin answered. "But why, I do not know."

He cast another spell. This time, the light around the necklace changed color from gold to pure white, which was even brighter than the first. His eyes widened.

"What is it?" Ygraine asked.

"This stone absolutely cannot fall into the wrong hands. It holds within it incredible power. Any magic user who has it will find their natural ability amplified greatly. Morgana cannot be allowed to get it. I wonder if she even knows what it is capable of."

He returned the necklace to Ygraine. "Keep this safe."

"Thank you. If there's anything you can do…"

"If you will allow me, I know a few personal protection enchantments."

Arthur nearly choked on his waffle. "That's the understatement of the century."

Merlin grinned. "Well, it's a good thing there are still a few years left in this one, considering I missed the last one entirely."

"Whatever you say, lazy bones," Arthur replied.

"Lazy?" Merlin protested. "Do you have any idea how much work mucking out the stables and polishing your armor actually was, much less that I was doing it and saving your royal backside at the same time?"

"Well, you did sleep for over a thousand years," he replied with twinkling eyes.

"Prat."

"Idiot."

"Dollop-head," said Merlin.

"Clot pole," Arthur replied.

"Muggle."

"Hufflepuff."

"You can't come up with anything better than that?" Merlin asked, grinning.

"Sorry," said Arthur, finishing his tea. "I'm not a morning person in this life, either. Just be glad you don't have to be my alarm clock anymore."

Merlin nodded. "Wait, they finally invented alarm clocks? It's about time!"

There were a few laughs.

"Speaking of mornings," Gwaine said, "we should go while it's still early."

"Yes," said Arthur.

Merlin got up and began to clear the dishes away out of habit, but Gaius stopped him. "We'll manage. You need to get ready. All right?"

Arthur stood up and went to his bedroom.

"Before we leave, I should probably put a few wards up," Merlin said. "If you don't mind."

William didn't look happy about it, but he nodded. "I suppose it's necessary."

Merlin nodded and went outside to cast the protection spells. He caught the neighbors peering out of their windows. One of them was mowing the lawn and stopped to watch.

"Right then," the warlock remarked as Arthur and Gwaine stepped out of the house. "Have you got everything?"

Gwaine held up a large backpack, as did Arthur.

Merlin nodded. "Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Morgana and Morgause were in their hotel room, as Nimueh had called it. There was a knock on the door as a servant of some sort carried two large suitcases.

"Hello, I was told to bring these up to you."

"Good," said Morgause. "Put them over there."

The young man entered the room nervously. He looked very young, Morgana thought. He was wearing a navy and gold uniform and had dark hair. He reminded her of Merlin when he had just started at the castle.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"My name?" he all but squeaked. "J…Jimmy."

"Jimmy, do you know who I am?"

Nervously, he nodded. "M…Morgan Le Fay. You were on the t…telly."

"What exactly is a telly?" she asked.

He pointed at the strange looking black box. "Just use the remote."

Ah, so that's what the wand-like thing was for. "Show me."

Jimmy gulped._ I really don't get paid enough for this job,_ he thought. He picked up the remote. "See, this is how you turn it on." He pressed the power button and a music channel came on.

"It's not magic, though?" Morgana asked.

He shook his head. "It's technology. We don't have magic anymore." He pressed another button. "This is how you change the channel."

"Jimmy," said Morgana, "I'm not going to bite you." She reached into her pocket and took out a silver coin. It wasn't much. "Could you do us a favor?"

"We could use a smart lad like you," Morgause added. "We really don't know much about technology; especially those things people call computers. We've heard people talking about them. Perhaps you could help us?"

If the coin was pure silver and from ancient Camelot, it could be worth a lot as an antique, he thought. He wondered if the dark-haired witch had any more of them. The possibility of making tons of money was tempting. Jimmy just wasn't sure that he wanted to be an evil henchman in order to become rich. In the end, the money won out.

"I know a lot about computers," he answered. "I'm going to the university to be a computer programmer."

Morgause smiled. "I knew that you had intelligence. Now, perhaps you could put it to good use?"

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, still looking at the silver coin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A white haze formed around them and everything faded. Soon after, they could hear birds singing. The sun was shining. Judging by its position, it was late afternoon.

"This looks awfully familiar," Gwaine remarked.

"Except for the paved road," Arthur said as a car drove by. "It'll take us several hours to walk to Camlann. We should rent a car."

The nearest town within a reasonable walking distance was rather small. It had no car-rental company, but there was a taxi service called, ironically enough, Camelot Cabs. From the sign on their front entrance, it was obvious they catered mostly to tourists.

Gwaine knocked on the door. "Hello?"

"If we direct you, can you take us to Camlann?" Arthur asked.

The taxi driver nodded. "Are you tourists?"

"Not exactly," Arthur replied.

There was a Time magazine sitting on the desk, fairly recent, with a photo of Merlin, Morgana, and Morgause at the library. The headline read, "Magic Returns – For Good or Ill?" The taxi driver glanced at the magazine, and then he looked up again. "You're him," he realized in amazement.

Merlin sighed. "We just need a ride. Please?"

"Well," said the taxi driver, "I'll take you. This'll be a story to tell the grandkids."

Arthur grinned. "Excellent. How much?"

"Which of you is paying?"

Merlin felt in his pocket. A few coins jingled. "I don't have any modern money."

"I'm sure that will change soon," the taxi driver replied. "Someone like you could become wealthy awfully fast."

"Really?"

"Yeah." The taxi driver picked up another magazine featuring David Copperfield on the cover. "Guys like this make their living by entertaining others. But they're not the real thing. They're all smoke and mirrors. You're the real deal. People will pay to see you."

Merlin looked a bit amazed. "I never would have thought of being a performer."

"Well, you should. You'd be the next big thing. Which one of them is Arthur?"

"How…"

"News travels fast in this day and age, even without magic."

"That would be me," Arthur said.

"And this is..?" he gestured towards Gwaine.

"Sir Gwaine," he replied, "at your service."

The taxi driver grinned. "Excellent. Standard rate is five pounds and sixty pence per mile. I'll give you the 'friends and family' discount."

"I actually have local currency in my pocket," Gwaine said. "I live in Wales. Let me pay."

Arthur nodded.

They all went outside to the parking lot, where the taxi awaited them. Merlin looked at it hesitantly. He had only up until now seen cars from a distance, after all. This particular taxi was painted white and red.

"It's not going to bite," Arthur said.

"I know," Merlin replied. "It's just…"

"First car ride ever?" the taxi driver asked.

The warlock nodded.

"Well, don't worry. It can't be any worse than flying on a broomstick."

"I never actually flew on a broomstick."

"Oh," said the taxi driver, looking a bit disappointed. "I had hoped they got something right."

"Not much, no," Merlin replied.

"Right. Well, come on, then. Off we go."

* * *

In the hotel, Jimmy had brought his own laptop up to the witches and was, against his better judgment, showing them the Internet. Morgana had explained how they'd known about computers. They'd heard people talking about computers in the hotel corridors.

"This is called Google. We use it to find things," he explained. "Type in anything you want, and it will eventually come up."

The women exchanged glances.

"Can you type in Uther?" asked Morgause.

"Yeah, but it'll just bring up a bunch of historical stuff, probably." Jimmy was lying through his teeth. He knew that the arrival of Merlin was a popular news story, and anyone related to him would also come up right away. The incident at the library was a huge topic. "After all, he was a king."

"Yes, but surely the news media would be covering this," said Morgana. "We've already seen how they cover other topics, such as the Presidential election here in the United States."

Jimmy sighed. Clearly lying to these women was impossible. "All right," he said. Entering in Uther first brought up a Wikipedia page, and then the recent news articles.

Morgana's eyes flashed gold as she read through the article. "We should be able to find out where he lives."

Jimmy nodded. "Things like addresses are generally public information."

"Then could you find it for us?"

"Sure, all you have to do is this."

A minute and some furious typing later, the address of William Jones, librarian, appeared on the screen. There were other William Joneses, as the name was fairly common, but only one of them worked at the New York City library.

"Excellent work," Morgause said. "Morgana, give the coin to Jimmy."

Morgana raised an eyebrow.

"We may need his services again," the elder witch replied.

Morgana pressed the coin into the young man's hand. "Try not to spend it all in one place."

Nervously, Jimmy nodded. He couldn't believe they were letting him go, but as the blonde woman said, they might need him again. As long as he was useful, they would let him live…he hoped. The coin buzzed faintly as he put it into his pocket. That was a bit worrying. _Please be from static electricity and not a horrible curse,_ he thought, leaving the hotel room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Merlin was amazed at what he saw looking out of the car's window. Everything was zooming by so quickly. What had been invented since the Camelot days was truly astonishing. People could be really creative when they put their minds to it.

"This is all technology?"

"Yes," Arthur replied.

"How long have these things been around?" Merlin asked.

"Cars have been around since the early 1900's, at least. The old ones looked quite a bit different, though," Gwaine answered.

"I still have my grandfather's Model-T," said the taxi driver proudly. "I keep it in mint condition, too. When we get back, I'll show it to you."

"I'd love to see that," Gwaine said wistfully. "I'm a mechanic."

"Excellent," said the taxi driver. "You can come and help me out."

The car finally slowed to a stop. "Here we are, according to your directions, my lord."

"I'm not royalty anymore," Arthur said.

"You are the Once and Future King. You may be a commoner by birth now, but you're still you inside. So pardon me, but I was raised to show respect, my lord."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Thank you."

Arthur felt goose bumps on his arms as he stepped out of the car. He had not been here in over fourteen hundred years. The place hadn't changed much. The river was still there, meandering through the area. Remains of the old fort and stone wall could still be seen among the trees. He put his hand on the taxi to steady himself as a flood of memories came rushing in.

* * * Flashback * * *

Metal clanged on metal as Arthur's sword met Mordred's. This was completely unexpected. Up until the day of the battle, Mordred had been a trusted member of the Round Table. Arthur had not seen the attack coming. Merlin had attempted to warn him, of course, but he hadn't believed his then-servant.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded.

Mordred whispered under his breath, "_Ahatian_." His eyes flashed gold.

Suddenly, the handle of Arthur's sword felt hot, but the heat quickly vanished. He hadn't had time back then to process why that had happened. Now, though, he knew that Merlin must have cast protection spells on the sword.

"You and your father destroyed many of my people. Did you forget where I came from?"

"I tried to keep an open mind. I'm not my father," he replied, swinging Excalibur again.

Mordred's golden eyes grew wide as he dodged the would-be strike.

"We don't have to do this! Just walk away," Arthur said.

"No," Mordred replied, swinging a strike of his own.

Arthur met it with his sword. "Why can't there be peace between us?" he asked.

"Because you are a Pendragon, and I am a druid."

** * End Flashback * * *

"Are you all right?" Merlin asked. He had put a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

He glanced around, realizing what century he was in. "Yes. Sorry. The memories…"

The warlock nodded. "Let's go and find it."

Merlin walked forward, followed by Arthur and Gwaine. Gazing out over what had once been a battlefield and was now a grassy plain home to ruins, his eyes blazed as he cast a spell in the old language. It seemed as if time had stopped. The birds were no longer chirping. The wind was completely still.

Then suddenly the earth rumbled and began to shake. A white light shone over the land in a spot where a tree had grown. The tree was an oak, large and strong. From out of the tree, a dryad stepped out. She blended in perfectly with the wood. Her hair was a burnt-orange hue tumbling around her shoulders. Her eyes were the color of new spring leaves.

"Emrys," she stated, bowing. "You have returned."

"Yes," he answered.

"Good. I have what you seek. It has long been a part of this land." She reached within the tree trunk, and it rippled for a few seconds as she withdrew Excalibur. It caught the magical light, and it was so bright that everyone except the dryad had to shield their eyes.

"My people have protected it through the years," she explained.

"Thank you," the warlock replied, accepting the sword and bowing to her. "Arthur."

As the former king stepped forward, he could feel the blood rushing through his veins. It was as if his entire life had led up to this moment. There was no doubt that he was meant to be in that place and time.

Merlin turned around. "I believe this belongs to you," he said.

The former king's fingers touched Excalibur's hilt and wrapped themselves around it. He felt himself lying on the ground, the knights rushing to his aid, and then being carried to some sort of holy place. The light…there had been light and a beautiful woman wearing a white gown. She was saying something about Avalon.

"Arthur?" The warlock looked concerned.

He took a deep breath as the memory faded. "I'm fine, Merlin. It's just not every day that you remember dying." He turned and looked at the dryad, who was watching him curiously. "Thank you for keeping this safe."

She inclined her head. "My pleasure," she replied, and then melted back into the tree.

As they walked back to the car, the taxi driver looked astonished. "That's really Excalibur."

"It is," Arthur said. "We should get going."

"This will sound slightly mad," Merlin said, "but the dragons have a pub. They might have information for us."

The taxi driver blinked. "Did you just say dragons?"

"Yes, it's a long story."

"Where is this pub?"

"Well, you have to promise not to tell anyone. If you tell, I will have to come back and turn you into a bunny rabbit, or something equally embarrassing."

"A pink sparkly unicorn," Gwaine said, grinning.

"I'll go with his idea. If you don't want to be a pink sparkly unicorn…" Merlin said.

"I promise," said the taxi driver. "I swear I'll never tell."

"Remember, you just made the oath in front of King Arthur, me, and a knight of the round table. We will find out if it's been broken."

The taxi driver nodded vigorously.

"All right," said Merlin, and gave him the address of the pub.

"Right, let's go then," Gwaine said.

It was a long drive.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Nimueh appeared in the hotel room in which Morgana and Morgause were staying. "We must act quickly. I have seen Merlin and Arthur searching for the sword. We must go after the gemstone before they return."

Morgause nodded. "As you wish."

"You must go to Uther's home and take the gemstone. I care not what you do with the rest of them, but leave Uther alive. He must suffer for the wrongs he has done."

"We will bring him to you."

"Go now. As I speak, Merlin and Arthur are preparing to return."

Morgana incanted the teleportation spell, and she and Morgause disappeared. The two witches appeared in front of Uther's house a few moments later.

"We cannot just walk in," Morgana said. "Merlin will have warded the place. He's not stupid."

"And so, we will bring down his wards," Morgause replied. She said something in the old language. The air around the house shimmered, but nothing else happened. "Hmm. This will be more difficult than I thought."

Morgana tried a spell of her own. Nothing happened. For several minutes, each of them tried different spells, all with the same lack of effect. The two women finally looked at each other.

"We need to try a different tactic," Morgause said.

"Indeed," Morgana replied. "Come with me. I have an idea."

With that, they vanished.

* * *

The Dragon's Roost was busy. The area had been seeing more than its fair share of tourists lately due to Merlin's reappearance, and many of them wanted to see the real historic places, not just the standard ones on the tour routes. Well, the general public didn't know about the dragons yet, but the druids were happy to take tourist dollars in exchange for showing them a few harmless magic spells.

As a result, colorful glowing balls of light floated around the Dragon's Roost. Most of the electric lights had been replaced by candles. Winding ivy vines and flowers had sprung up in areas where there shouldn't have been any at all. Even though it was late summer, the trees were blooming again as if spring had come. The tourists were admiring the out-of-season flowers.

When Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine walked into the pub, no one seemed to notice them. A young woman with ice-blonde hair was serving mead to the tourists. Her eyes were the palest of blues. She wore a medieval peasant dress, as did the other serving girls.

"Merlin!" Kilgharrah exclaimed. "You found Excalibur."

"We thought it might come in handy."

"Excellent. This is my daughter." He gestured to the blonde. "Her name is Astraia."

"Nice to meet you," he said.

She nodded. "I have, of course, heard much about you."

_Kilgharrah, how is this possible? _Merlin thought.

_Much has changed since the old days, Merlin. You might say we have…evolved, _the dragon telepathically replied.

_Something must have happened, _the warlock thought.

_You are owed an explanation. It will be a very long story. Merlin, you should know something else, _Kilgharrah responded.

_What?_

_Your parents have been reborn into this time. We know where they are. They're being protected. That is all I can say for now._

Merlin's jaw must have dropped, for he noticed all of the stares in his direction, even from some of the tourists. "Just ignore me," he said.

Gwaine frowned. "You're doing magic, aren't you?"

"Why?"

"Your eyes changed color."

Merlin sighed. "Telepathic conversation," he muttered.

Astraia set the glasses of mead in front of them. "Enjoy, my Lords," she said with a smile.

"I'm not…" Arthur began.

She held her hand up. "You are the Once and Future King, Arthur. Regardless of your birth in this lifetime, you were and still are Arthur Pendragon. That cannot be changed, no matter how much you may want to change it. The sword proves that."

Slowly, he nodded. "I suppose you are right."

She flashed him a grin. "There is one thing that you will learn about my people, as Merlin has learned over the years: we are always right."

* * *

Two young girls, one with dark hair in braids, and another with blonde hair in pigtails, approached the house. They were wearing Girl Scout uniforms and holding thin mint cookie boxes. It was Morgana's idea, which she had gotten from watching the telly after Jimmy had left.

Morgause grinned as she knocked on the door. Ygraine answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi, we're selling cookies. Would you like to buy some?" Morgana asked.

"Certainly. Please come in," Ygraine said.

The girls stepped over the threshold. In the living room just beyond, Morgana could see Uther, Gaius, Gwen, and Percival playing a game of some sort. As Uther drew a card, the lines on his forehead furrowed.

"What is it?" Gaius asked.

He sighed. "Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200."

Both Gwen and Percival burst out laughing.

"I suppose I deserved that." The former king put the card down.

"Oh, you deserve so much worse," Morgana replied. "Father," she added icily.

Gwen gasped. Morgause cast a spell, binding her with ink-black strands that came out of nowhere. Percival reached into his pocket for his gun, but Morgana flung him against the wall. Books fell off the bookshelves next to him. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"No," Gaius shouted, and cast a spell of his own. "Ástríce!" A red beam of energy shot out of his hand toward Morgana.

She held up her own hand. "Scildan! Gaius, you should know by now that you are no match for me."

He glared at her. "Perhaps not, but I will not go down without a fight."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

As Merlin took a sip of mead, he felt a tingling sensation in his head. That meant his wards had been triggered. He had a sinking feeling about that.

"I hate to break up the party, but we need to go back to New York," he said.

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"Morgana and Morgause are at your parents' house. My wards were triggered."

Arthur set down the glass of mead. "Then let's go."

The three of them went outside and Gwaine paid the cab driver. "Sorry, but we have to run."

The cab driver nodded. "Good luck," he replied. "Stop by when this is all over. I could use a decent mechanic."

"I will," Gwaine promised.

They stepped aside as tourists gawked.

"Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard," Merlin said.

Their surroundings faded away. The area was soon replaced by a well-manicured lawn and the sight of two young Girl Scouts standing just inside the front door.

"It's them," Gwen shouted.

Morgana resumed her adult form and began to chant a spell that Merlin had only read in a book but had never seen used. Morgause grinned evilly as she also resumed her adult form. A cloud of purple gas began to form inside the house. Merlin's eyes flashed gold as a gust of wind dispersed it.

"You won't win, Morgana," he said.

Morgause raised her hand and cast a spell, flinging Merlin towards a birch tree. But he stopped in mid-air just before he would have hit it. His magical senses were tingling, and not just because of the two witches throwing spells around.

Morgana cast another spell. The branches of the tree became alive, entwining themselves around Merlin and trapping him against the tree trunk. There, out of the corner of his eye, something moved…and it wasn't one of the branches. He craned his neck around, trying to get a better look at it.

"I am a high priestess," she replied. "You may be Emrys, but I am not without power."

From out of the tree, a woman's head appeared. Her skin blended with the bark of the tree. She had long white hair and eyes the color of spring buds. "You may be a high priestess, but this is _my_ tree and I can no longer remain neutral in your conflict," the dryad responded.

She stepped forth, emerging from the bark. She wore a long white gown. Her eyes flashed gold and the branches returned to their normal state, dropping Merlin unceremoniously onto the ground.

"I did not know this was your tree," Morgana responded. "Forgive me."

"A high priestess of the old religion and you cannot even tell if a tree is occupied by one of my kind?" The dryad sniffed. "Some high priestess you are."

The corners of Merlin's mouth turned upward into a quirky grin. He was trying hard not to laugh.

Morgause grimaced. "We cannot let anything get in our way, sister."

"We have no quarrel with the dryads. I do not wish to anger them any more than we already have," Morgana said.

Morgause shook her head. "This is for Avalon's Tear, remember? It is everything." She raised her hand and her eyes glowed. A ball of fire was instantly conjured and headed straight for the dryad's tree.

Merlin held up his hand. "Scildan!" A shimmering shield went up around the dryad and her tree.

The dryad's eyes flashed gold. Suddenly, the dandelions in the yard grew larger, uprooted themselves, and began to attack Morgana and Morgause.

"I told you to mow the lawn last weekend," Ygraine remarked from inside the house.

"Ow, my head," Percival groaned as he woke up. "What…the…." he began, as a six-foot tall dandelion walking on its roots skittered past the front door. It took a swipe at Morgause with a jagged leaf that was suddenly as sharp as any blade.

Merlin's eyes glowed as he cast a cone of icy wind, aimed straight at Morgana. As she prepared to counter it, Percival fired his gun. The bullet hit her in the arm. She dropped to the ground and was frozen by Merlin's spell.

"No," Morgause shouted.

The first dandelion was set on fire. It screamed rather loudly as it thrashed. Merlin doused it with a water spell before it could stumble into the terrified neighbors' yard. He could see the young couple looking out the window in horror. The other dandelion went after Morgause and got a lightning bolt for its trouble. It disintegrated, leaving a huge pile of ashes on the lawn.

The angry dryad glared at Morgause. "You know the rules of the old religion. My people are many, and we are not to be trifled with. You do not want us as an enemy. Leave now and do not return."

She took a step forward, but the dryad shook her head. In resignation, Morgause put a hand on the unconscious Morgana and teleported away.

The dryad nodded towards Uther. "This is your house, yes?"

"Yes," he answered.

With a wave of her arm, the lawn was back to normal and the giant dandelions melded into the earth. In fact, the lawn had never looked more perfect.

His jaw dropped. "Can you do that any time?"

The dryad nodded. "Why do you ask?" she asked.

"I think, perhaps, we should work something out."

The dryad smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Jimmy had gone to an antiques dealer to try and sell the coin he'd gotten from the witches. The antiques dealer was an older man with gray hair. He wore glasses and a brown suit. The shop was upscale.

"Ah, yes, this is very old indeed. Where did you say you got it?"

"Morgan Le Fay. She tipped me with it at the hotel." Well, that was at least partially true.

"I wonder how many more of these ancient coins will be showing up?" the antiques dealer mused. "It's pure silver, I can tell you that much. Back in the day, they didn't use alloys. I'm going to have to do some homework on this one before I can make you an offer. Most of the stuff I get is only 50 to 100 years old."

Jimmy nodded. "How long will it take?"

"Probably the rest of the evening. Can you stay?"

"No."

"Will you at least let me take a photo of it?"

Jimmy nodded.

The older man opened a desk drawer and took out a small digital camera. "Put it right there."

As Jimmy set it on the desk, he felt a sudden itchy feeling.

The older man looked at him. "You all right, son?"

He looked at his itchy hand. It appeared normal. "I think so."

The older man snapped a picture of it, and then turned the coin over to take a shot of the other side. Just then, Jimmy felt itchier. Still, his hand looked perfectly normal.

The antiques dealer took another photograph and then returned the coin to Jimmy. As he did, the itching stopped. Jimmy looked at the coin with a sinking feeling.

"What is it?"

The younger man shook his head. "I don't know. It's probably just my imagination."

"Well, you are dealing with Morgan le Fay. Can't be too careful. You'd better have it checked out. I know these people who run a new age shop down the road. They claim to be druids. Never put much stock in that stuff until all of these crazy things started happening. They could be the real deal."

Jimmy nodded. "Thanks. I'll go there."

He left the antiques shop and went for a walk. Sure enough, a new age shop called the Purple Unicorn was there. A large, hand-painted and glittery sign hung over it. Ivy vines wound their way up the walls on the outside of the building. Crystals of all shapes and sizes sparkled in the window.

He opened the door. The moment he stepped onto the threshold, a woman with long dark hair wearing a green bohemian skirt and a white peasant blouse approached him. "Please, no dark energies in here! You will disturb the class we have downstairs."

"Sorry. I was told I could go here for help."

She looked him up and down. "All right, but not inside the store. Out back."

He followed her around the building. The back of the store had a parking lot, and currently, a red Volvo was in the spot next to the store. There was also a man with a grill and a package of veggie burgers. "Cathy?" His eyes narrowed as he looked at Jimmy. "What's wrong?"

"Michael, this young man needs our help."

"I'd say so. What happened to you?"

"I work in the hotel downtown. There are two women staying there. I'm sure you must have heard about them in the news. Morgan le Fay is one of them. I don't know who the other one is." He opened his hand and showed them the coin. "She gave me this. I think it's cursed. I can't get rid of it."

Cathy and Michael exchanged glances.

"No wonder you felt so dark. Listen, we can help you. You have to promise not to tell anyone, though. We don't want to be famous," Cathy said.

He nodded. "I promise."

"All right. Michael, you're better at this stuff than I am."

Michael stood up and muttered some words in the old language, which Jimmy could not understand. His eyes turned golden. In Jimmy's hand, the coin felt much lighter.

"Anything?" Michael asked as his eyes turned back to normal.

Jimmy set the coin on the nearby picnic table. There was no more itching. He grinned. "It worked!"

"Excellent. Now, I highly suggest finding a new job, if you can. It isn't worth it dealing with those two witches. Our people have many legends about them. If you keep working with Morgana and Morgause, you will get burned at some point. They have a history of betraying those who help them."

He nodded, looking relieved as he picked up the coin. "Thank you."

As he walked back to the antiques dealer, Jimmy picked up his cell phone. "Yeah, boss. It's me. I quit. What? Yes, I'm serious. All right, bye."

Jimmy knew that he was extremely lucky to have gotten out of that one without any more serious problems. Now he was going to go home and have some pizza and watch a movie. He did not want to think about anything having to do with magic for a very long time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

An angry Nimueh appeared in the hotel room a few minutes after Morgause had teleported there and placed Morgana's unconscious form on the bed. "This is enough! You should have it by now!"

"My Lady, the wards were too powerful," Morgause began. "And there was a dryad."

An infuriated Nimueh felt her magic leaking out as the lights flickered and then went off. "I say, don't do anything unless you're willing to do it yourself." With that, she teleported away, leaving the irritated Morgause behind to heal Morgana.

* * *

"What happened to the lights?" Gwen asked.

Arthur stepped outside. They were out everywhere. "It's not just us. It's the whole city."

"Do you think Morgause had something to do with it?"

"Probably."

With a flash of lightning, the high priestess appeared in the yard. She wore a flowing dark blue dress with a black cape.

"Hello, Arthur. Long time, no see."

He glared at her. "You're not going to get what you want." He stepped back inside and grabbed the sword, and Merlin grabbed his staff.

She laughed. "Do you really think that thing will hurt me?"

The warlock's eyes burned as he cast a spell. It was pure elemental and non-verbal. The skies overhead were suddenly very cloudy, and the wind was howling. "This will."

Nimueh cast a counter-spell, throwing Merlin back into the fence. It shattered as he landed hard, bashing his head against a rock. The staff flew out of his hands and across the yard, hitting the fence. "First you have to be conscious."

Arthur ran at her with Excalibur and took a swing. She vanished and reappeared behind him, inside the house.

"Funny thing about wards," she said. "If a spell caster is strong enough, they can break almost any of them. I win."

Merlin groaned as he sat up and felt blood trickling down the side of his head. The neighbor ran over to help him up.

"That looks bad," the middle-aged man said, extending his hand.

"I've had a lot worse," Merlin replied, accepting the neighbor's help. "You'd better go inside. She doesn't care about bystanders."

He nodded and took off.

Nimueh walked up to Ygraine and ripped the necklace from her neck.

"Why are you doing this? We used to be friends."

"Friends don't try to commit genocide because they don't comprehend the cost of a spell," the High Priestess replied, giving Uther a harsh look.

"I was wrong," he said.

"Too little, too late," Nimueh replied.

"No," Merlin exclaimed, seeing Nimueh with the stone.

His eyes glowed at the same time as hers. She was casting a teleport spell. His spell froze her from head to toe, stopping the teleport spell about halfway through. He took the gemstone from her, feeling a rush as he put it on. It was definitely interacting with his magic this time. Why, he was not certain. Perhaps it was because he was essentially a creature of the old religion, something which most spell casters were not.

The warlock was struck breathless by the raw power coursing through his veins. There was so much Merlin could do now, and so much that he shouldn't. He really, really wanted to just obliterate her, but the old religion demanded that she not be killed outright. She was supposed to suffer. Why couldn't he be in charge, just this once?

Then a photograph of something caught his attention: the first man walking on the moon. Arthur's parents had it hanging on the wall above their desk. It gave Merlin an idea for a spell. It was a little crazy, but then, weren't all good ideas? The stone around his neck tingled, as if to confirm that was the right course of action.

"Merlin?" Gaius asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "There's something I need to do while I have this amulet, though." A flood of pure magic engulfed the room, and a warm green light surrounded them. Then Nimueh vanished, leaving only a shimmering pool of ice on the carpet as a reminder that she had been there.

"What the bloody hell did you just do?" Arthur asked.

"I sent Nimueh to the moon."

He looked at the picture on the wall. "In this time?"

"Nope. Camelot's," Merlin responded.

Arthur started to laugh, and finally, they all did.

* * *

Nimueh woke up gasping for air. She managed to cast a spell surrounding herself with a protective bubble. All around her was pale white dust and rocks. The light was eerie and it was incredibly cold. She had a feeling that if not for the protection spell, she would be dead.

Then she saw it. The blue and green ball that was Earth floated into view, but there were no electric lights on the planet. It was then that she realized exactly what Merlin had done.

"Noooooooo!" she wailed.

They were going to pay for this, if she ever found a way back.

* * *

Author's notes:

One more chapter left. Let me know if you want a sequel. My muse is a bit stuck at the moment.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Mum, I think we have to do something with that necklace," Arthur said.

"Yes, dear, I know. It has caused us too much trouble." She sighed. "I will miss it, though. Our grandparents didn't have much from the old country to pass down."

"It's for the best," Merlin added.

They went outside and saw that the lights were coming back on. Arthur placed the necklace on a tree stump. Uther put his arm around his wife as the neighbors came out to watch once more.

"All right," Arthur said, holding up the sword. "If this doesn't work, I don't know what will."

"Get on with it," Merlin replied.

Arthur raised Excalibur over his head and brought it down fast. As it landed on the stone, it shattered into a million tiny pieces. Glittering tiny crystals went flying everywhere like shooting stars in the night sky. There were few things he had done that had ever felt so right.

"No one person should have that much power," Merlin said. "Not even me."

Gaius put a hand on his shoulder. "It was the right thing to do."

"Yes. Now, I wonder what Morgana and Morgause are going to do now that they're stuck here? Do you think they'll find honest work?"

"Those two? Ha!"

"We should celebrate," Uther said.

"How do people celebrate these days?"

"Barbecue time," Uther's neighbor shouted from over the fence.

"At 8:00 in the evening?" Arthur replied.

"Why not?" his father responded.

"Sure, why not."

Soon the entire neighborhood was having a huge barbecue party.

* * *

In the hotel room, Morgana awoke to find Morgause watching TV. "What happened?" she asked. "I no longer sense Nimueh's presence."

"They destroyed the gemstone," Morgause replied. "Emrys did something to her. I know not what."

Morgana closed her eyes. Everything they had been working for was for naught. "What shall we do now?"

"I plan to go back to our old lands. You may do as you wish, sister. I strongly advise taking another identity for now. Our old names are too recognizable."

She nodded. This was going to be tough, living in a strange time in a strange land. But she had survived tougher things, and she was determined to make it through.

* * *

Meanwhile, Merlin and Arthur relaxed in lawn chairs as the smell of roasted hot dogs and hamburgers wafted into the air.

"You know, it's going to be weird to be back in class next week," Arthur said.

"That's right; I'd forgotten you were a student," Merlin replied.

"What are you going to do?"

Merlin shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose I should try to find a job. I really haven't got any modern skills, though."

"They still have house cleaners in this era," Arthur teased. "I'll give you a reference."

The warlock rolled his eyes. "As if I want to do that again." He leaned back against the tree. "I should teach magic. There could be people who have the ability who don't even know it because the language has been lost, and most people had stopped believing in it until now."

"You'd be good at it."

Merlin grinned. "Yes."

"Hot dog?" Gwen asked, holding up a plate with one on it.

"What's a hot dog?"

"It's sort of like the sausages we used to have, but different."

Merlin looked at it skeptically but took a cautious bite. "This is good."

Arthur gazed into Gwen's eyes. "At least we don't have to cross an ocean to see each other," he said.

"No, but it is getting expensive to fly," Gwen replied. "I could move to New York once I finish school."

"Yes," Arthur said. "Or you could transfer."

She grinned. "Yes, I might just do that."

* * *

That morning, after breakfast, Merlin took one last look around. "I talked to Percival and there's a lady I need to meet with in order to officially be a legal UK citizen. I'm going to see her tomorrow."

"Good. Keep in touch. I'm sure someone at the pub will be able to teach you how to e-mail."

He nodded. "Arthur?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. Just because Nimueh isn't around anymore does not mean that Morgana and Morgause won't try something."

"I will."

Merlin's eyes glowed at he cast the teleportation spell and wound up outside the Dragon's Roost. He opened the door and stepped inside.

"You're back," Kilgharrah said. "The gemstone?"

"Arthur destroyed it."

"Good. Nimueh?"

"She won't be coming back anytime soon."

"Wonderful news," the dragon in human form replied. "Please sit down; we have a lot to talk about."

Merlin nodded. "How exactly do you have a daughter?"

The dragon gestured to one table. Suddenly, it all made sense as Merlin saw Balinor and his mother stand up.

"Merlin," his mother exclaimed.

His jaw literally dropped as he rushed over to hug her. "Oh gods…you're here!"

"Yes," she said, as her eyes welled up with tears. She kissed him on the forehead. "As soon as I remembered everything, I knew I had to see you, but they said it wasn't safe."

"Nimueh would have targeted you if she had known," Merlin said.

Balinor put a hand on his shoulder. "Hello, son. I know we never really got to know each other before, but we have time now."

He grinned. "Yes, yes we do."

"How long…"

"They found me when I was a boy. We really should go and talk somewhere more privately."

Kilgharrah gestured for them to follow him, and he led them to an office. He closed the door behind them. "It was out of necessity that we learned how to hatch the eggs magically. Our population has grown, but not without cost. The hatchlings do not always survive their births. We knew that we still needed a dragonlord's magic to make it work 100% of the time."

Merlin and Balinor exchanged glances.

"Go on," Merlin said.

"This is where I get to the unusual part of the story. We knew that we needed dragonlords, so we found a way to manipulate the magic after centuries of research. We found a way to ensure that a human child would be born with it, and that their father would not have to die to pass it on. That child was Balinor. Since he is not technically your biological father in this lifetime, Merlin, you still have the magic as well."

He gaped at Kilgharrah. "So there are now two dragonlords?"

"Actually, there are four. Two of them are living in this town and are still children. Their parents are members of the druid community and understand what it means."

Merlin's jaw dropped. "Four dragonlords!"

Balinor nodded. "And there is something else. Go on, dear."

Hunith took a deep breath and held out her hand. "It seems that fate has a certain amount of irony," she said. Her eyes glowed and a small globe of light appeared in her hand.

"Mother?" Merlin gasped.

"In this life, I have magic."

He hugged her. "That's great!"

"There's something else," Balinor said.

"What?"

"We've both moved here," he replied. "And we've got a house."

"That's fantastic!"

"Yes, well, if you need someplace to stay…"

Merlin grinned. "I'd love to."

"Wonderful," Hunith said. "It'll be like old times. Even better."

"And I can teach you magic."

"Yes." She smiled.

Merlin wondered what else the future held for him. It certainly wasn't anything like he had ever imagined, but at least he wasn't alone, and that was what counted.

* * *

The End


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note:

The sequel to this story, Council of Astraeus, is now up. Thank you for reading.


End file.
